The present invention pertains to apparatus for making up hydraulic or other fluid connections under water, typically in connection with an oil or gas well. Such connections are customarily made up by divers. It can be readily appreciated that manipulation of the equipment itself and/or any necessary tools is rendered much more difficult by the fact that these tasks are being performed under water. The deeper the installation site, and the more protective gear which must be worn by the diver, the more difficult such manipulations become. The work is further complicated by the fact that it is often desirable to make up a number of such connections ganged on a single pair of junction plates, so that all of the individual pairs of connectors must be properly aligned and mated when the two plates themselves are connected.
In the past, a typical means of connecting two such junction plates was by means of screw type swing bolts. This system has several disadvantages: not only was it necessary for the diver to use separate tools to make up the connections, but it was further virtually impossible to apply substantially equal forces on opposite sides of the apparatus.
Other systems have been devised wherein the coupling means are entirely carried by the conduits or junction plates to be connected, thereby eliminating the need for separate tools. Examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,183,895 to Reed, U.S. Pat. No. 483,987 to Balbian, U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,046 to Sturgis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,195 to Zahuranec, et.al., and U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,485 to Weber, et. al. However, these types of connection systems still pose problems, particularly if considered for application to deep underwater use. The first four prior patents listed above are not designed for underwater oilfield-related use, and generally do not fulfill all the requirements for such service. For example, it is possible for these devices to be accidentally disconnected and/or deliberately disconnected while the conduits thereof are still under pressure, either of which would present a wasteful and hazardous situation if it were attempted to adapt these types of coupling systems for deep underwater well-related service. Some of these devices also suffer from the same disadvantages as the screw type swing bolt couplings described above in that they do not insure the application of equal forces on opposite sides of the apparatus. The fifth patent to Weber, et. al., is intended for underwater use. However, it still involves some of the same problems as the prior art discussed above, and in addition, is more mechanically complicated than is desirable.